The Great Christmas Breakup Part 22

I turned to him. Why did I even think the watery blue of Robert Simpson's eyes were more attractive than Carson's? Even as angry as I was, his ocean blue peepers had a calming effect.

*Then just tell me the truth,' I said, sotto voce. *Have you been with another woman?'

He didn't even blink. Did that make him a pathological liar? *No, of course not.'

I revved the accelerator, engaged the clutch and released the brake a little. The car lurched forward. Luckily it was Christmas Day and nothing in front of me.

*Scarlet!'

*Tell me the truth!'

*I am.'

*Last warning, Carson.'

*Scarlet, there is no other woman, I swear on our children's lives.'

The complete and total prat! To lie on our children's lives was beyond acceptable.

Depressing the accelerator, the car began moving.

Fast.

And making a loud, horrible noise.

*Change gears. Up to second, push the clutch in,' Carson instructed.

I did as I was told, and the car satisfyingly sped up even more.

In front of us was the park, with the gates open.

*You can't go in there, it says park vehicles only!'

*Then tell me the truth.'

Carson tried to steady my steering. *I told you. Do you want me to lie?'

A red mist washed over me and putting pedal to the metal, I zoomed towards the park, using the pond inside as a marker, ignoring Carson's pleas for me to stop.

My plan was to stop at the last minute at the edge of the water, and demand the truth.

But that never happened.

Instead, the car hit a tree, and everything went black.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

Christmas Day, December 25, P.M.

*Giving up is not an option. Tell yourself that, then watch how things improve.'

Jocelyn Priestly WHEN WE WERE released from hospital, things only got worse; especially as we were presented with the huge bill.

I tried not to think what had happened to my insurance since I had been fired from Flindes. Carson may be a cheater but I would be the one who made the kids homeless.

Carson put the invoice in his pocket without a second glance, groaning slightly with the effort.

Obviously the knowledge that his indiscretion had led to even more debts was keeping his anger at the cost at bay.

And this only served to induce an even greater fury in me; far greater than that of the night before.

We went home and opened the presents. There was no present at all from Carson to me. I had given him Jocelyn Priestly's new calendar, discovered in a clearance at a local market.

*At least it is not a re-gift,' he commented dryly, moving tenderly to the table and taking a seat. He had bruised rips and nothing more. The car was totaled, but Carson and I were intact. Physically, at least.

My arms, fractured but not broken, were throbbing with the effort, but I made the Christmas dinner the kids deserved, and once it was eaten, they asked if they could go up to Hammertro's.

*Why?' Carson grimaced at the mention of the name.

*He's got a nicked virtual computer device thing that's worth a mint. Said we would use it before he sells it on.'

After the spending most of Christmas in a hospital waiting room, I couldn't refuse them, could I?

The moment the door creaked closed I confronted Carson.

*Now, the truth. Or I leave.'

*Scar, listen.'

I couldn't take any further prevarication. *You've been cheating on me! While I've been working on my windows and looking after the kids, you've been cheating with some Harvard smarta.r.s.e.'

I didn't think that my brief infatuation with Robert Simpson deserved mention or clarification.

Technically, I hadn't actually gone there.

Carson had.

*No, I haven't,' he said evenly.

Then the buzzer rang, indicating that someone was waiting downstairs.

*That better not be Cecily 2,' I warned Carson, as he got up to answer the door.

*Why would it be?'

*Why wouldn't it be?'

Carson peered at the videophone, then opened the door and dashed out.

Where was he going? I raced after him and followed him downstairs to find him standing in newly fallen snow, talking to a pretty, slim, dark-haired woman dressed simply in a black wool coat and s.h.i.+ny, expensive-looking camel-colored patent boots.

This must be her. The nerve!

It's Christmas. Tis the season not to break up families! Didn't they teach basic decency at law school?

I wanted to sink into the snow and weep at the sight of her crisp loveliness, a dire contrast to my blobby frumpiness. I might have done too, if my throbbing arms hadn't stopped me.

*You still deny it?' I half-pointed at Miss Perfect, who was staring uncomfortably at the ground. *You still deny the affair, even though she is standing right here?'

Carson looked at the woman apologetically. *Yes, Scarlet, because it is not true.'

*Then what the h.e.l.l are you doing in that hotel room, on Christmas Day, with her?'

*What are you talking about?'

*That wasn't what you think,' the woman said quickly, looking up at Carson for direction.

*So you admit it?' It was freezing outside but I felt as if I was burning up.

Carson tried to placate me. *Scarlet, please listen . . .'

*Come on Carson, confess. The gig is up.'

*The gig is up? Who are you? Charlie's newest angel?' He had the nerve to smile.

I began screaming, *JUST TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU UP TO!'

The woman told Carson it was time to fill me in. *She doesn't look well, you know.'

b.i.t.c.h! We don't all earn the hundreds of dollars a day it takes to look like you, do we?

Carson took my arm. *Scarlet, calm down, I'll tell you.'

Here it comes, the end of my marriage.

I braced myself.

*I was studying for my State bar exam. Laura was helping me, as I've been offered a job in her firm. If I pa.s.sed, I start 2nd January. And this morning Laura confirmed that I've pa.s.sed. That's why I went to Manhattan.'

The world began to spin. Carson was studying. And he was studying law.

Hang on!

*Why did you buy her something from LollyBliss, then?'

*As a thank you, for Laura.'

*Why from there?'

*Why not? You showed me that magazine cover with your window a it's very trendy, apparently. And I don't know where to buy stuff for women, do I? It was the easiest way to buy Laura something a plus I knew Lolly would let me in if I came after closing.'

It was a reasonable enough excuse. But he was a clever guy.

*You want some proof, hah?' His strong, lean arm was around me now. And Laura was smiling.

*Actually, yes.'

*Here's your Christmas present. Laura brought them around so I could give you one today.'

He presented me with a business card. It declared that he was a junior a.s.sociate at somewhere called Wider, Locke and Brimskate.

I still couldn't believe what I was hearing or seeing. Carson was a lawyer? He had a job . . . as a lawyer?

Did this mean my life of penury was over?

That we would be able to pay the hospital bill? And buy some decent food?

And another car. One with decent brakes and airbags?

*I don't know what to say?' I told him.

*Say that you love me, and not the other guy?'

His deep Caribbean blue eyes, the ones I'd fallen in love with, searched my own.

*Carson, I was working for Robert Simpson, that's all. He is a complete freak. You have no idea how unlikely it would be for me to run off with someone like him.'

*You promise?'

*Yes.' I sighed. *He didn't even pay me for the windows I did for Chocolato.'

Laura the lawyer put a hand to her mouth. *But those windows are incredible.'

*You saw them?'

*There is a shop near the office a I couldn't miss it. Loads of people at work have noticed them, too.'

*Mom says she wants to see them, you know,' Carson told me.

I had to shake my head to clear the fuzz.

*Really? Cecily?'